The American South During Civil War
- Date Submitted: 01/28/2010 06:29 AM
- Flesch-Kincaid Score: 51.6
- Words: 952
- Essay Grade:
no grades
- Report this Essay
The American South, had a social system which was distinct in many ways. There was an economy relative to
the region, where class structure and a system of racial differences which caused the South to become
unique to the rest of the nation. Historians such as James Henretta have said that Capitalism was the
cause of all evil within the American South. American Capitalism defined by Max Weber is “ a greed for
gain”, and “acquisition by force, ... whether directly in war or in the form [of] exploitation of
subjects”. This type of lifestyle within a growing nation could not work with the gentry class which was
moving into the region unless there was people to do the work on the farms for them. At first there were
indentured servants, but this system of work only worked for a limited time as these servants would work
their time of servitude and then leave on their own. The American farmer in the south needed more control
on their workers and needed to know that they ( the worke!
rs ) weren’t going to just leave and start up their own farm for themselves. Thus the manipulation of
slave labor became the answer for capitalism, and from the use of black slave labor, tension began to
rise between the slaves brought from Africa, and the land holders of the South.
Tension between Slaves and land owners have been strong in the South for many years, and one
might say that the cause of it is the ways of which the Black slaves of plantations and farms were
treated. The founders of the Carolina colonies were not only interested in the use of slaves in the
solution of their labor problems of too much work not enough workers, but they had a very big material
interest. The use of slave labor, was a coerced, cash-crop system of labor from which slavery became an
economic necessity because...
Comments
Express your owns thoughts and ideas on this essay by writing a grade and/or critique.
Sign Up or Login to your account to leave your opinion on this Essay.
No comments